Antony and Cleopatra x4

When: 21st May, 4th June, 12th Aug, 24th Aug (not at all excessive)

 

Where: The Globe

 

Why: Eve Best 

Greedy Globe ducks

The Globe is my happy place. Leaning on the stage, breathing in the scent of warm wood (and sometimes choking on excessive incense smoke), usually with my friend Charles (@cakespeareuk) by my side and a tummy full of groundling queue cake (wrested from the beaks of the riverside ducks who will harass you for snacks), and in perfect confident anticipation of beauteous things to come. You can’t not smile constantly, even when you’re in a see-through Globe poncho and the rain is pouring into your shoes (and eyes). And you’ve paid a teeny fiver for the privilege. I’ve paid more than that for a pint and much as I love an ale, it’s no contest which is better value.

 

We hit the groundling pit on the first night of Clive Wood’s unfortunate illness and so were treated to the hurriedly acquired stand-in Antony in the form of John Light, who rose to the occasion magnificently. He was impressive, handsome (weyy) and held a strong connection with the rest of the cast considering he’d joined them that very morning. Some of the scenes were a bit hilarious with script in hand, including some awkwardness with a sword, and cracking up due to losing his place at the crucial moment of suicide. Far from ideal, but Light’s honesty and charisma with the audience made it work, and he and the brave cast thoroughly earned their thunderous applause at the end of the performance. We came away not feeling cheated at all, but actually pleased to have seen a unique performance. Poor old James Hayes (Lepidus) was ill during my second visit which was a sad loss – the play is less without his epic Irish portrayal of the snake man (“I wish you joy of the worrrrrm” is our new catchphrase) – and the amount of ankle supports seemed to increase each time I went back. Dangerous on that stage.

 

The production each time had an amazing energy, was fast paced and action packed – lots of soldierly running around and flag twirling suspended from the balcony, marching and stomping and especially dancing. The bacchanalian romps at the start and during the drinking scene on Pompey’s boat (and eventually added at the end of the performance in true Globe style – good decision) were a frenzy of Egyptian sensuousness and exuberance, and were true crowd-pleasers. This wanton behaviour also contrasted deeply with the solemnity and formal stiffness of the Roman contingent – I know where I’d rather have lived. I didn’t know the play at all really, and was prepared to have to make the effort to get through it at points, prepared for a bit of tragedy and concentration, but I was in fact joyfully carried along on a perfectly balanced wave of humour and drama. It was an easily accessible performance and incredibly enjoyable.

 

Amazing final night photo by @shaksper. I'm in this somewhere! 

This was mainly thanks to the wonder that is Eve Best. I’ve said it before but she is just amazing. Her Cleopatra was very human – changeable and petulant, imposing but constantly flashing vulnerability and restless mischief too. Rather than the aloof Elizabeth Taylor glamorously exotic high up and far away queen we’ve come to expect, we got an understandable, almost loveable Cleopatra. Eve Best is the perfect Globe actor – working the audience (literally hooking them in this case), playing with them and making eye contact with countless awkward groundlings. The first time I saw it, I ended up kissing her hand as she flaunted her new pearl ring from Antony down to her subjects. Bit embarrassing as I immediately doubted that was what she’d meant me to do, but it seemed right at the time… And an honour, obviously, to kiss the hand of your hero. I haven’t seen her do it again so maybe I was just looking particularly worshipful or something. Awks.

 

Antony as played by Clive Wood was a grizzled lion of a man, torn between his duty in Rome and his happiness in Egypt, and full of grim humour and casual disrespect for Caesar which was super entertaining. The chemistry between he and Cleo wasn’t totally convincing but EB could charm sparks out of a stone so it wasn’t really a problem. I did love his jokey attitude even at his darkest moments (laughing at himself when his suicidal stab doesn’t quite work) but it would be interesting to see it done tragically too at some point.

 

The rest of the cast was also incredibly strong which is really why the play was such an overall hit for me – not just carried by brilliant headliners but showing off an enviable breadth of talent in the whole thing. Jolyon Coy’s Caesar was outstanding – entertaining and chilling in equal measure as the fastidious, calculating menace that he is, and playing off the total polarity between he and Antony to perfection. Phil Daniels as Enobarbus was enjoyably blunt and sardonic, but I feel like more could have been made of his strong friendship with Antony as that didn’t massively come across when they were together. Obioma Ugoala as two very contrasting roles (Mardian the eunuch and Scarus the soldier) was buoyant and powerful, and Cleo’s attendants Charmian and Iras played by Sirine Saba and Rosie Hilal were excellent, charming twin pillars of support to the wayward queen.

 

I got hit by two serious downpours – one on the DVD filming night (12th August if you were there!) which will be interesting to see on screen… Romance through cords of rain. The weather can also heighten the drama though which is why I love the Globe – you get a different performance because of the changing nature of the arena you’re in. On one occasion during a dramatic speech from Cleo as she’s missing Antony, the wind caught her shawl and blew it dramatically around her which drew whoops from the audience and laughs of delight from Eve Best, who rode it out and made it part of the performance.

 

Some favourite moments of the play include:

• The party on Pompey’s boat featuring drinking games (“A toast… to LEPIDUS!”), dancing and dropping Caesar on the floor.
• Cleopatra viciously beating up the messenger who brings the news of Antony’s marriage to Octavia.
• The soothsayer ripping out the goat’s entrails during the interval – brilliantly gory. 
• Cleo’s outfits – god I wish we could all go around wearing long white dresses and floor-length gold sequined capes.

I was lucky to go to the final night of the run, and experience all the extra fun that entails. We were round the left of the stage and so saw EB peeping out of the curtains, and during the extra riotous opening scene she roamed around the stage dressed as an old peddler in a cloak, thrusting a pomegranate at various cast members. The whole cast were given a rose at the end of the curtain call which they threw into the audience as we threw roses at them, which resulted in a frenzy of petal chucking and mutual appreciation between cast and groundlings.

 

Thank you to all involved for four beautiful and fun evenings! (I am such a nerd).

 

Brixpig x

Final night roses

Medea

When: Tuesday 22nd July

 

Where: National Theatre

 

Why: Classics innit

 

“They are the sun that lights his world
So I will plunge him into darkness.”

 

Oooh Medea you’re a horror. I love an ancient tragedy, and was basically brought up on them in my teenage years thanks to a school classics teacher’s connections with the Actors of Dionysus – an avant garde theatre group specialising in ancient plays (so much drama, so much scaffolding, so much writhing). This Medea was directed by Carrie Cracknell, who also did the Hattie Morahan version of A Doll’s House which I loved, so really I had no choice but to go.

 

Medea’s two ill-fated (to say the least) sons await the audience as they lie on their tummies in a pool of TV light, and this very normal scene of innocence and relaxation must really stick in the throats of all the parents in the audience anticipating the utter breakdown of this contented state of affairs.

 

Helen Mcrory’s Medea is charged, strong and savage, as she strides through her house like a trapped animal and psychologically unravels over the course of 90 minutes. It’s a fast moving play that seems driven by the very speed of Medea’s thoughts and the whirring of her mind. She is stricken and furious as her actions get her deeper into the hole she’s digging, and when she finds herself in the bleakest possible situation her fury and wits and wild logic lead her to the inevitable grisly conclusion. She needs to harm Jason, who has done her so much wrong, more than she needs to protect herself.   

 

I wasn’t a big fan of Danny Sapani’s portrayal of Jason. In this modern telling of the play, his ruthless businessman-like attitude and patronising presentation of his abandonment as a benefit to them all (“I did it for us, darling”) did work well as a concept, but I was underwhelmed by his reserved performance. One review described him as “curiously under-energised” – his vague wander out of the room where he’s just seen his two dead sons, followed by a bit of a groan and a stumble off the stage, did nothing for me really. I need guts and shrieking to make it worth my while. In a way though it highlighted Medea’s tragedy even more, in that she can’t get over this lame-o suit even though she knows how much he isn’t worth it.

 

The set portrays Medea’s state of being: the real world floats above, out of her reach, as the wedding of Jason and Creusa plays out, and she is hopelessly stuck at home with nothing but wilderness and exile in the forest behind her, ever approaching. The end of the play sees her fully committing to the darkness as she heads out there with the bodies of her sons literally burdening her, as her illusions of the gods’ protection are not fulfilled (no dragon-led chariots in this production, soz Euripides). Her hollow triumph is guttingly portrayed in the bleakest possible way.

 

I’d heard much made of the music and choreography in this version and was genuinely excited to see what would come of it, but to be totally honest I didn’t really notice the music, and found myself having to hold back giggles at the choreography. The Actors of Dionysus (who I love, by the way) prepared me well for ridiculous movement in a classical play (just to re-iterate – SO much writhing), but even so I was taken off guard by the dance moves in this performance. The chorus moved from Fifties housewife style advisors to living portrayals of Medea’s raging thoughts, spikily jerking and pulsing in a disturbing and enveloping troupe. It was impressive, don’t get me wrong, but unfortunately also hilarious. One move was almost a copy of Ricky Gervais’s famous David Brent dance moves, which sent me right over the edge. God I’m so unsophisticated. Similarly, I’d been looking forward to Goldfrapp’s score, which I think did offer a sense of unnerving atmosphere and foreboding within the play, but wasn’t especially memorable.

 

I followed up my visit by attending a talk on the psychology of Medea at the NT a few weeks later, drawn by the presence of forefront classicist Edith Hall (big fan of her irreverent style). The discussion considered concepts of insanity and asked whether Medea was actually ‘mad’. She is exiled, abandoned, a stranger with no support around her, but she also brought a lot of this on herself – she is a master manipulator who has been driven by rage and lust and power her whole life. She has murdered a family member before (her brother, to help Jason). She’s a fascinating character, and apparently in the ancient world represented the ultimate example of what happens when you don’t take care of your women.

 

Great stuff from Helen Mcrory who was close to perfect and provided me with as much screaming and horror as I could possibly want from this brilliant story.

 

Brixpig x

Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium

When: Sunday 6th July

 

Where: Shoreditch

 

Why: CAKE AND CATS

I was SO READY for my visit to Lady Dinah’s. I’d been following their progress since hearing of the planned project, and when all the spaces sold out after it opened I waited patiently, kind of hoping that someone might get me tickets for my birthday. But when the new booking system opened and loads of cancellations were released, I knew my time had come. Taking along two feline-obsessed friends, we bounced in with enthusiasm, ready to mingle with the kittens (who I felt I knew already thanks to voracious Instagram stalking).

 

Sleepy gingers

Typically, we arrived on a day after the cats had been up all night partying, so they were all in super sleepy mode. The lovely hostesses were most apologetic and tried to persuade them to play by various sneaky means – bringing out some exciting looking boxes, waggling stringy items at them… but to not much avail. To be honest, it was nice to see them behaving like totally average cats – casually disdainful of any enthusiastic human and dedicated to their own agenda. You wouldn’t want them to be anything else. The rules are strict at Lady D’s – you can’t disturb a sleeping pusk, or pick them up, and their welfare and comfort is the number one priority of the staff, as it should be. They all seemed incredibly content, and their environment was fab. Cosy sofas and retro furniture downstairs provided plenty of hiding places, and the glam hammocks and wheels and tunnels upstairs clearly made a bit more of an area for playing. There were also several delightful moments of cat V. dog stare-offs thanks to the window area, which made for entertaining viewing.

 

Wookie, my new bff

We didn’t have any serious cuddles, but I definitely shared a moment with Wookie (my absolute fave – a tabby/persian cross and a total babe), and we got a lot of strokes in. We did get to feed them some shrimp treats too which was a cute experience – my cats would definitely tell me to piss off if I tried to feed them from the palm of my hand, but these guys loved it. Speaking of which, our food was also impressively tasty – more so than I had expected. My red velvet cake and hot chocolate (complete with cat face stenciled on top) were absolutely delicious, my friend’s vegan rose and something else (I just can’t remember ok) cake looked fab, and they had a great range of teas and treats.

 

I will definitely, definitely be going back and had such a lovely time. Thanks kittens and staff!

 

Brixpig x

The Summer Book

When: Tuesday 10th June

 

Where: Unicorn Theatre

 

Why: Tove love

 

This was the first time I’ve ever been to a designated ‘children’s theatre’ as far as I know, and I did feel like a bit of a weirdo rocking up without a kid in tow. But the Unicorn is such a classy venue that I soon forgot myself - that, and the fact that there were way more adults than children in the audience anyway. It’s a beautiful space, with a bright and stylish atrium - no cliché wipe-clean surfaces and grubby plastic chairs, but a respectful and bold atrium that doesn’t patronise children. Which is fitting for a place showing a Tove Jansson piece. I was very impressed.

 

The Summer Book is a great story and beautifully written – I advise you to read it if you haven’t yet. It tells the story of a grandmother and her granddaughter Sophia, based on Jansson’s own mother Ham and niece Sophia – who I actually met at the Moomin film premiere (more on that in a later post!!) – and a summer they spent together on a small island. This stage version captured some of the quirkiness and inter-generational humour, but I think didn’t quite manage to perfectly get the poetry and energy of the book. But to be honest I think that would be almost impossible. There are some things that can’t be improved on and most of the magic of The Summer Book is in the writing.

 

It was played out in touching vignettes to create an overall impression of the anarchic island life from tiny moments, on an impressively simple stage of island rocks and a background set of the bedroom in the house. Our imagination was called upon at several points (for example grandma’s imaginary false teeth, and the fact that there weren’t many actual props in use), so that the whole undertaking felt like a game for the audience too, which was effectively carried off by the confident cast of two. Olivier award winner Sara Kestelman as the grandmother was glorious – conveying the grumpiness, rebellion, tiredness and wisdom of the older generation perfectly, her caustic remarks resounding well with the philosophical curiosity of Sophia, played alternately by Sammy Foster and Amy Snudden. I saw Sammy I think, whose levels of strop and unselfconsciousness were impressive, with only the smallest presence of stage-schooly precociousness. 

 

Their relationship was the strongest part of this stage version, and although overall it was a charming experience, it could have been more moving. I think in trying so hard to be subtle the play might have not done quite enough and lost a bit of energy. But the lighting and sound were gentle and simple, and essential to tie together the many scene swaps and bring in the strong sense of nature as its own force and really the third main character in this little tale.

 

Definitely glad I saw this though, and I would go back to the Unicorn in a heartbeat – just need to find a child to take with me next time!

 

Brixpig x

Boy George

When: Thursday 3rd April

 

Where: Indigo2

 

Why: Me mum loves him (don’t they all?)

 

You’re such a flirt, George. Complimenting the crazy mum dancing, the man with the glittery beard, the man with the massive hat on, and generally working the crowd with his funny little dance moves and relaxed attitude, he couldn’t have been more charming. Apart from the tiny strop he threw during a Bob Dylan cover, to get the noisy crowd to shut up (I was in full agreement with him, people who stand at the bar and yell during gigs are dicks, pure and simple).

 

He sounded incredible. His voice was clearly on top form, so soulful and touching, and smooth as silk. And he looked pretty good too (loving the beard) – clearly that raw diet he keeps going on about on Twitter is working for him. The band were cracking and had a super cool brass section, which really built up the sound and gave a different feel to some of the more reggae tunes. The Culture Club songs predictably got the biggest crowd response (Poison, Do you really want to hurt me, and a new chilled-out version of Karma Chameleon), but I loved his somewhat unexpected cover of T-Rex’s Get it on (see video below). He finished with the joyful, arm-waving, peace-n-love, jingly jangly Bow Down Mister, and a euphoric crowd sent waves of love back at him – this crazy, charming music god.

 

Brixpig x

 

Good People

When: Wednesday 26th March

 

Where: Hampstead Theatre

 

Why: Imelda Staunton

 

This play really made me fancy a game of bingo. Seriously, I think I probably still have an old dabber pen from when I used to go with my grandma and the old ladies – I was tempted to hunt it out. Set in Boston, I didn’t think bingo was a thing in the states, but apparently so.

 

This new play by David Lindsay-Abaire (who also wrote the book for Shrek the Musical…) is tough and punchy, and offers an insight into class issues in modern day America. The incomparable Imelda Staunton as Margie is a chippy, dollar-store worker (until she’s fired in the first scene) with a disabled daughter and an unsecure lifestyle. As her life looks like it might be starting to unravel, she hears an old boyfriend (played imperiously by Lloyd Owen) is in town and seeks him out, ostensibly to help her find work. As she tries to crash his cancelled party, she realises the gulf that has appeared between the boy who made good and her own life (“How’s the wine?” – “How the fuck would I know?”), and a series of witty and gritty observations plays out. Some dark truths emerge and we see how we change even our own histories and memories, and everyone’s motives are questioned.

 

Imelda as ever was touching, nuanced and hilarious, bringing vulnerability to a complex character (and a damn good Boston accent, as far as I know…) Margie’s old dollar store manager played by Matthew Barker was also innocently funny as the unexpected hero of the piece, who is constantly teased and who everyone thinks is gay because he’s always at the bingo with them. This was a great example of a situation play that was done at such a high standard – it made me think of the sort of thing that a lot of the amateur theatre I’ve seen would totally destroy and drag into banality, and it could be easily done, but this was utterly at the top end of the scale.

 

Brixpig x

Broken Bells

When: Monday 24th March

 

Where: Shepherds Bush Empire

 

Why: James Mercer’s voice

 

When I rented a room in Three Bridges during an internship a few years ago, the first Broken Bells album was a godsend to me. I used to listen to it every day, usually when I was wandering along to the library or aimlessly roaming around Horsham town centre, pretending I was in a movie about a girl with a really boring life. (I could also only listen to the Sand Band’s album first thing in the morning at that time… I tend to get very set in my musical ways during times of upheaval). And when the second album came out, years later, it made my train journeys to another hated office job much funkier. Again, James Mercer’s voice was the hopeful backing track to dreams of a more exciting future involving less paperwork and Thameslink train journeys.

 

The second album, After the Disco, is a cracker – 80s, synthy, both retro and futuristic at the same time, with a couple of banging BeeGees-esque tracks (Holding on for Life is my absolute fave), it manages to be low-key and uplifting at the same time. Shepherds Bush was totally sold out, and the crowd could see their little faces projected onto the screen on-stage, staring back at their excited expressions and ready for a groove. The show began with Perfect World, the first track from the new album, and we found ourselves taking off from the earth in our psychedelic space ship, complete with huge silver globe and a stunning light show and visuals, on a nearly two-hour journey with our talented hosts.

 

Influential producer and musician Danger Mouse and the Shins’ James Mercer make up Broken Bells, and it’s fair to say that they’re a very understated presence on stage, personality-wise. Danger Mouse (more prosaically known as Brian Burton) remained stoic throughout, and it is hilarious how little Mercer speaks – not even a greeting to the crowd, but giving an occasional mumble of the upcoming song title. Having seen the Shins previously I knew what to expect, and somehow Burton and Mercer's seriousness and focus makes you take their whole enterprise more seriously and forces you to appreciate everything else they’re doing up there – their music speaks for them and is charismatic enough by itself. And Mercer’s soaring voice is just outstanding.

 

We landed gently back on earth, after some fantastic views and a euphoric journey, expertly piloted by two unlikely but impressive captains.

 

Brixpig x

Miranda: My, what I call, live show

When: Wednesday 19th March

 

Where: Newcastle Metro Radio Arena

 

Why: SUCH FUN

 

My darling brother bought my mum and I tickets to see Miranda for our Christmas present in 2012. The most forward-planned gift of all time, at 15 months in advance. I was so proud.

 

Miranda was a riot; a friendly stage-presence and gloriously wacky, as expected. Her stand-up was slightly more in line with the sitcom Miranda, and took a similar format of silly jokes and asides to camera, plenty of slapstick and singing. It was like the filming of an episode but with much more audience involvement. The front rows were treated to gins in tins and packets of crisps (“Take one and pass it along”) as this show was intended to be a party. We sang along to disco classics (I will survive), took part in some en masse posh party chit chat and did plenty of dancing. Highlights included:

 

- the incredibly awkward interval date, which left a 20 year old female audience member tolerating the brilliantly uncomfortable advances of a 17 year old boy in a ‘Parental Advisory’ t-shirt
- Miranda’s predatory lunge, resulting in her accidentally flirting with a 15 year old
- readings from her teenage diaries
- the football warm-up move (“These… are MY balls”)
- MOIST PLINTH
- “What have you done today to make you feel PROUD?”

 

The whole thing wrapped up with a delightful video encore and an epic Beyoncé inspired performance featuring hotpants and glitterball.

 

SUCH FUN.

 

Brixpig x

The Mystae

When: Thursday 13th March

 

Where: Hampstead Theatre (downstairs)

 

Why: Stephen Fry recommended it on Twitter

 

The Mystae was a new play by Nick Whitby, performed in the incredibly atmospheric (and cute) downstairs at the Hampstead theatre. The action is set in an off-shore cave which slowly gets cut off by the sea, and the intimacy of the surroundings downstairs, combined with brilliant crashing seaside sound-effects and shadowy, evocative lighting, set the scene perfectly.

 

The events take place over the course of one night in the cave, and are poised on the edge between hilarity and danger, childhood and adult life, cleverness and madness. The three teenagers played expertly by Beatrice Scirocchi, Adam Buchanan, and the brilliantly named Alex Griffin-Griffiths, have grown up in close-knit Cornish village and are straining to break free, and over a hallucinogenic cup of tea they display both their innocence and their secrets in a wildly eventful night. They use Ina’s Greek heritage and their shared intellectual interests to try to recreate the Eleusinian Mysteries, an ancient ritual of transformation which brings clear vision of the ultimate truth. Brilliantly staged with quick vignettes and jokes interspersed with real dramatic scenes, I was utterly gripped by the skillfully natural portrayal of young adulthood and the three friends’ adventurous spirits. Best Twitter recommendation yet.

 

Brixpig x

Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

When: Tuesday 11th March

Where: Wimbledon Theatre

Why: FABULOUS

I’ve always enjoyed a croaky, out-of-tune man’s voice – Bob Geldof, Robbie Williams, Pierce Brosnan in Mamma Mia… But I reached my tipping point thanks to Jason Donovan in this show. He sounded absolutely knackered. He even looked a bit woozy, stumbling round the stage in his heels. He’s not a natural dancer, nor a natural transvestite, I can’t lie to you. Anything less elegant is difficult to imagine. Fortunately, he was carried by a great supporting cast and some proper good tunes. It’s the campest show I’ve ever seen, brightly coloured and pretty elaborate – and you know that although the plot is insanity, you’re going to enjoy yourself on the bus journey through Oz. The Divas suspended from the top of the stage were sassy and brilliant, and the sniping banter between the main three characters was sharp and often hilarious. It was an overall glittering assault on the senses and an enjoyable night out in Wimbledon.

Brixpig x

Ghosts

When: Friday 7th March

Where: Trafalgar Studios

Why: Love me some Ibsen

My trip to Ghosts was the final night of a week of epic evenings – on Monday AND Tuesday I’d seen Wicked (free tickets, thank you very much), Wednesday was London Grammar, and Thursday was Haim. So you can imagine I might have been thinking wearily of my own sofa and a chill-out on Friday night – but I was actually incredibly excited to see Ghosts, and my friend Charles of course, who had sorted us out with £10 day tickets.

I was excited as well to be in the bigger theatre at the Trafalgar Studios, which is comfily retro. I’d been before to Trafalgar 2 to see my friend Ben starring in Betwixt, and both times had experienced a brilliant celeb spot, with Sheridan Smith the first time and Stephen Fry the second (neither of whom I was permitted to speak to by my friends, at the risk of massively embarrassing them and probably myself… rude). The day tickets were incredible value and meant we were stunningly close to the stage, on the second row with a view only partly impeded not by a high stage or safety railings, but by a girl with a massive top-knot right in front of me. Despite this hairy impediment, we could see close up every nuance of emotion passing over Leslie Manville’s face.

This was a stunningly put together production, with impressive lighting and claustrophobic stage design which all added to the intensity of the drama, but it was the acting itself that was sublime. I was absolutely floating away on the performances, which were all of just the highest standard. It was a privilege to watch a play where the quality of the actors was just undeniable and impossible not to appreciate (and the Olivier Awards panel obviously agree). Despite being one of Ibsen’s most harrowing plays, this performance was pitched perfectly – it was dramatic but not melodramatic, subtle and engaging, and you could feel it slowly piercing your heart as it played out. I described the plot to my mum and it sounded horrendously depressing, but it wasn’t like that to watch. I wasn’t dragged down, but carried along. Leslie was perfection, and Jack Lowden as the son, Oswald, was also outstanding.

The performance is now on Digital Theatre and I suggest you download it immediately (I think you can still use the code ibsencollection to get 25% off if you buy it and A Doll’s House at the same time!).

Brixpig x

HAIM

When: Thursday 6th March

 

Where: Brixton Academy

 

Why: What do you mean, why??

 

I can now say that I have met a person in real life thanks to Twitter! Not like, forged a real-life friendship or met my future spouse or anything, but met a very nice man briefly near Euston to swap cash and Haim tickets. He couldn’t go because his wife was having a night out and so he was babysitting (as I say, he was a nice man), and I had spontaneously decided to try to get tickets as I was too short-sighted to book them months before when I didn’t really know Haim that well. So it was win-win.

 

My mate and I watched them from right up at the back of the Brixton Academy because we decided to do some pre-drinking at home, but such was the force of their stage presence (and literal volume of both sound and hair) that it felt like we were totally engulfed in the show anyway. Our position also provided comedy gold in the form of me sprinting up the little stairs with two last-minute pints trying to get back before they started, tripping over, obviously, and choosing to save the beer over my shins (you know you’d do the same). Fortunately the drinks helped to numb the pain.

 

The girls blasted onto the stage like gorgeous leggy yetis, and launched into Falling with their trademark long locks flying. I am so jealous of their hair and instantly regretted cutting mine short. I’m still growing it now and am months away from the Haimy majesty I seek. They followed this up with If I could change your mind, which is my favourite Haim track. My dancing was enthusiastic, put it that way – but so was literally everyone else’s in there. It was one of the most vibrant and purely enjoyable gig atmospheres I can remember.

 

There were some awesome covers of Beyonce’s XO and Fleetwood Mac’s Oh Well, and they constantly demonstrated how massively talented they all are, switching around lead vocals and different instruments with sisterly ease. Their rapport and banter with the crowd was killer too, chatting away and sharing awkward stories like total legends (Este’s autocorrect fail had the whole crowd in hysterics). They ended on Let me go, all smashing the hell out of different drums and working the crowd up into an appreciative frenzy. They are so enthusiastic and slick, epic and inspiring and FIERCE and exactly what you want from a gig and a band and like life in general.

 

Brixpig x

London Grammar

When: Wednesday 5th March

 

Where: Troxy

 

Why: Good question

 

Wasting my young years. At this gig, I think I was a bit. It was certainly a few hours of my life that I’ll never get back. I returned to the Troxy for the postponed gig that got me my free Future Cinema tickets, and realised what a brilliant venue it is for music. It’s congenial and beautiful, with great bars and views even right at the back, and the little booths are lush. However, once I’d taken all this in, sat through the support (Dan Croll – good, bit Made in Chelsea but a nice presence), I was ready to be carried away and impressed. Instead I ended up lost and floating on an uninspiring, lukewarm sea of dullness. With currents of irritation carrying me along, thanks to the film crew constantly dicking about running backwards and forwards in my eyeline.

 

There is definitely such a thing as being too understated. It can verge on being not at all interesting. And having no stage presence. I have no doubt that London Grammar are all nice, inoffensive people, but that doesn’t make for a great evening of entertainment. Hannah Reid’s voice is genuinely good and has a powerful haunting quality, but it can get a bit unvaried after a while. The group were filming the music video for their song Sights, which meant that Hannah had to leave the stage for a three minute Lemsip session before they performed it, during which time the cameramen went into overdrive, practicing their runs up and down the stairs (see the long shot at the end of the video below and you’ll see what it was they were up to). I really think you should commit to one thing – either do a gig or film your video. Or accept that if you use your live performance as your video, it might be a bit ropey – don’t REPEAT it as your encore (that was the point that drove me out of my stupor to get up and leave). As a group, they really didn’t have the charisma to charm a crowd into going along with the whole video charade, to make up for the annoyance with their persuasive power and banter. The audience all just seemed to be having a good old rumbly chat throughout the entire gig. I’ve seen beautiful, dream-like performances hold an audience spell-bound (Beach House, I’m looking at you), so I know it is possible. But London Grammar definitely aren’t there yet.

 

Brixpig x

 

1984

When: Wednesday 26th February

 

Where: Almeida

 

Why: Birthday present (for someone else)

 

I’ll be honest, the only reason I went to see this was because it made a great birthday present for my best friend, who loves the book and anything dystopian. I probably wouldn’t have bothered otherwise, but I’m so glad I did. I hadn’t read it (what a pleb) but made sure I did before we went to the play as I’d heard it was a bit complex… It is, so well done me. Especially as the stage version places the book in the past and analyses it from (seemingly) outside of its context. Just to add another layer of complexity.

 

This setting was a daring move but it definitely worked, and was as thought-provoking an approach as any of the book’s original concepts. The ‘book group’ are analysing the story as we see it played out on stage, and this actively invites the audience’s own reactions to it as the themes of memory and truth are twisted and re-worked. Scenes are replayed with details altered – people are written out of the story (unpersoned) and our rebellious minds try to remember the ‘true’ version, along with Winston. I could also see most of the audience from my balcony seat which actually did add another dimension to the experience. Being new to the story I was still in an initial state of malleable excitement about the plot and the concepts surrounding it, and so was loving the innovative way it was presented and made me re-think everything I had just read.

 

The cast were impressive and slick – Mark Arends as Winston was the perfect balance of innocence and intent, and Tim Dutton as the interrogator O’Brien was intensely creepy and showed how disturbingly far into Winston’s wounded mind he could climb throughout the torture scenes. I found the torture to be a bit more bloody than I’d imagined – I had seen it all as internal pain, but it was nevertheless incredibly effective and horrifyingly well done. The moment where Winston’s world literally comes crashing down when his hiding place is discovered, to reveal the behind the scenes workings and the terrifying clinical whiteness of the ministry, was brilliantly done with some stunning set design and lighting. The sound and use of video screens was effective and fitting to the all-seeing nature of the story, and scenes such as the 2 minute hate were incredibly shocking when played out in front of you. This was definitely a play that will stay with me, and I’m so pleased it transferred to the West End so that more people could experience it (although I do love the Almeida – what a great theatre).

 

DOUBLEPLUSGOOD.

 

Brixpig x

Future Cinema - Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

When: Thursday 20^th February 

Where: Troxy

Why: FREE tickets thanks to postponed London Grammar gig

Firstly: Shadwell is terrifying. I’ll just leave that there.

Yeah it was good considering it was free. I don’t think I’d pay for it in future, unless it was a film I LOVED – essentially if they did a Sense and Sensibility one and I got to go home with a young Hugh Grant, that kind of thing. I think getting into the venue was the most entertaining part, lurking round the side entrance of the Troxy yelling potential passwords at a monkey doorman. Apparently we should have actually known the password but thanks to an email I didn’t get, it took longer than expected to guess the right one… Once inside though it was clear that the venue was perfect for the show, very retro and with plenty of dark corridors for Jessica Rabbit to lurk in.

It was a bit like going to an ambiguously themed student ball. Lots of balloons, uninspiring food, and ‘crazy’ thesps dressed as various movie creatures running around causing havoc. The film started quite suddenly just as we were settling into the entertainment, and from then on it was essentially just a very fancy cinema trip. There definitely could have been more done with the characters acting out scenes from the film, although they did do a bit (mainly Jessica Rabbit walking seductively from one side of the auditorium to the other every now and then). The night ended on a high though with the entire cast and audience up on the stage dancing (it has long been my dream to jive with a monkey in a suit. I mean, not really, but it should have been). 

Brixpig x